The Big City Engine
'The Big City Engine '''is the tenth episode of the sixth season. Plot Connor the Streamlined Engine was at Ulfstead Castle waiting for Stephen. "Where is he?" he grumbled. "Patience now," commented his driver. Connor sighed and waited. Suddenly he heard a whistle in the distance. "Who's that?" wondered Connor as a large green engine puffed into the castle. "I'm here for my duty for Sir Topham Hatt." the engine said. Connor was surprised. "Uh... do I know you?" "No, and I don't know you either. They used to call me 'Big City Engine' cause I was from a big city, which is London. But now they gave me a proper name, 'Patriot!'" "So you believe in patriotism?" asked Connor, chuckling. "What? Well, maybe. I suppose that's where it came from. I have deep respect for the government of the United Kingdom." Just then Stephen arrived. "Sorry Connor, but a little girl got lost and we had to find her mom." Then he noticed Patriot. "Oh, I think I know you! You're the engine Spencer told me about. You had an argument with two engines about the big station in London." "Right! Some blue idiot said it was King's Cross." scoffed Patriot. Connor knew who it was, but found it better to say nothing. "This is his office right?" asked Patriot, "I've been trying to look for him." "Well, this is Ulfstead Castle, the Earl of Sodor's estate." Patriot groaned and he puffed onto the turntable. Stephen looked to Connor. "What blue idiot?" he asked, "Is that-" "Yes, but please don't talk about it. He's upset enough already." replied Connor. Stephen understood and puffed away with Connor's passengers. Patriot looked around. "So where is Sir Topham Hatt's office?" Connor frowned. "All the way at the terminus at the end of the line. Just turn around and keep on puffing and you'll see it. It has a harbour." "I see.... Botheration! I came here for nothing!" grumbled Patriot as he puffed onto the turntable. His driver shook his head. "We at least got directions. Besides, it's not that bad." Patriot stormed off down the Ulfstead Branch Line. Patriot raced into Maron and onto the Main Line. When at last he reached Tidmouth, he saw the Fat Controller scolding Spencer for blowing away his top hat. "Thanks to you Spencer, everyone laughed at my bald head!" Spencer tried hard not to laugh. "Sorry Sir." "I hope you are too." and he walked over to Patriot. "Patriot, ah, good to see you arrived. I need you to help run special passenger duties. There's a lot do be done for our summer holidays. I also need you to be at the Grand Opening of a new dinosaur exhibit at the Sodor Museum. The Earl will be there." Patriot was confused. "You mean the one my driver read in a newspaper?" "Yes," replied the Fat Controller, "The Sodor Museum has been rebuilt and given many new exhibits so visitors can learn about our island of Sodor." Spencer couldn't help but overhear. "Will I be there too?" he asked hopefully. The Fat Controller walked sternly to Spencer. "If you behave and I get permission from the Duke and Duchess, then yes." Spencer was excited, but Patriot wasn't. "Just a load of nonsense, these bones of dinosaurs. There's nothing interesting about it." he scoffed. Spencer was indignant. "Any event by the Earl is worth talking about and is very interesting indeed." and he puffed away. Patriot rolled his eyes. That night, Patriot slept in an old goods shed, because he wasn't fond of the engine sheds. But the trucks talked all night long, and when Patriot awoke next morning, he was very exhausted indeed. "Stupid island. Stupid dinosaurs." he muttered as the firefighter lit his fire. But he was confused. "Why'd you leave him here?" he asked to his driver. "Well, he grumbled about every shed we saw, so we decided to just leave him here. And he seemed to enjoy it fine." "No I didn't!" thundered Patriot. Stanley puffed in for some trucks to take to Wellsworth. "Hello. I'm Stanley. You're awfully grumpy." said Stanley, "Is it because of these trucks? Well, they're easy to deal with. Goodbye," and Stanley left. Patriot was fuming. "How insulting!" As he approached Ulfstead Castle with a train of fossils from the Docks, he complained to Stephen. "This railway's too informal! On my old line," he said, "us engines were nice to each other." "Then why are you not being nice to me now?" asked Stephen. "Well, treat the way others treat you. Isn't that the saying?" grumped Patriot. "I doubt that. It's probably vice versa: treat others the way you'd want them to treat you." "Rubbish!" huffed Patriot and he was uncoupled from his train. "It's common though in Wellsworth Elementary. My driver's son goes there." said Stephen. "I don't care, and I won't ever." fumed Patriot and he left. Stephen sighed as his driver shook his head. Patriot arrived at Tidmouth with passengers. Pip and Emma were just ready to leave with the Wild nor Wester. "Oh, look here Emma! It's the new engine Patriot. Hello." said Pip. Patriot snorted. Pip was confused. "Why won't you talk?" "Can you talk?" asked Emma. Patriot was crosser than ever. "This railway is no good! I want to go back home!" Just the Fat Controller stepped out of his office smiling. "Guess what? I bought you from your original owner on the Other Railway. Now you can be safe from the scrap heap." Patriot was apalled and furious. Pip and Emma looked to each other and their guard blew her whistle. Pip and Emma scurried away before Patriot could insult them. "But Sir!" But the Fat Contorller had already left. Patriot sighed and puffed to Knapford Sheds. Murdoch was there resting before he could pull his big goods train to the Mainland when Patriot arrived. "Hello Patriot," puffed Murdoch, but Patriot just scoffed. Murdoch was offended. "Can't you at least say 'hello' to another engine?" he grumbled. Patriot sighed. "No, because everybody's being mean to me." Murdoch raised an eyebrow. "Who?" "A silver tank engine teased me, some railcars raced away from me, and a blue streamlined engine made fun of me for going the wrong way." said Patriot. "No he didn't," replied his driver. "Well, uh, you get my point." Murdoch smiled. "People tease me all the time, so just ignore it. In my opinion, conflict is never the answer." Patriot thought about what Murdoch had said that night. The next morning, Hank puffed into Ulfstead Castle with the last of the decorations. Spencer, Connor, and Caitlin were there.with the Earl. "Where's Patriot?" asked Hank. "Don't bother with him," snorted Connor, "He hates occasions such as these." Just then Patriot puffed in. "Hello everyone," he said. The engines were surprised. 'What are you doing here?" asked Caitlin, "I thought you didn't care!" "I decided that... Well... Murdoch told me that conflict wasn't the answer, and that I took my beliefs too seriously. I'm sorry, and I do want to see the opening of this new park." The Earl was excited. "Glad to see your change of heart Patriot, because it's going to open soon!" and he walked away. "I hear you were bought by the Fat Controller," said Hank, "Will you miss your home?" "Probably," replied Patriot, "But I think I'm going to like it here." All the engines grinned at Patriot and accepted him as part of their fleet. Characters *Patriot *Pip and Emma *Spencer *Murdoch *Stanley *Hank *Connor *Caitlin *Stephen *Sir Topham Hatt *Sir Robert Norramby *Millie ''(cameo) Category:Season 6 Category:DonaldDouglasandToby6's Episodes